free electronic schematic creator?

[spicydeath82]

hello, i'm new here.
i'm looking for a free, fairly simple electronic schematic creator.
i'd also like to know if any body knows of a good(free) program for making a negative(positive) for creating PBC's?
i suppose ms paint could work, but i'd rather use something designed for the task at hand.

thanks in advanced.

 

[jbeng]

Quite a few folks here use Eagle from

 

[vinodquilon]

Express PCB

Try out Express PCB.
**broken link removed**

 

[vne147]

Hello spicydeath. Your first post and you've already got a fancy avatar. That's pretty awesome.

As was stated already, a lot of people here including myself use Eagle. It can be used for both schematics and PCBs and I like it. In my opinion, there are some features of the user interface that don't work in "standard" ways and because of that, learning the software can be a little bit of a curve. Some functions are very non-intuitive which forces me to ask the question, was this software written by actual humans or by secretly developed CIA/alien cyborgs raised on government produced cheese and lettuce who were transported here from the distant future of a parallel universe. Not a very likely scenario I know but if it does turn out to be true, my aluminum foil helmet will protect me from them.

P.S. What's the weather like in Sweaty Butt Crack, CA. Hot, I'm assuming?

 

[mbarazeen]

you can try "circuit maker" student verson that is for free and only having limitation in number of component to be used. the library and features are as like in standard edition.

 

[shortbus=]

This one has a free version; IBF-Wiki

it also has a simulation built in so you only have to draw one schematic.

 

[spicydeath82]

Thanks guy's, i'll check those out.
@vne147- it's not so much hot at the moment as it is cold. i just call it the sweaty butt crack because the laws, taxes, regulations here suck.... there's a tax on everything here!!! lol.

also @ vne147- yeah i made my avatar after noticing all the little safety warning labels while playing fallout 3. so i drew a rough sketch and whipped it up in mspaint... lol

 

[phoenox]

gEDA suite comes with free and open source schematic and circuit board layout software. It does not have the annoying board size limitation that the free version of eagle comes with.
gEDA Project's Homepage

There is also a link to free simulation software and other free electronics design tools.

If any windows users want to check this out(and tons of other free software) without installing linux you can get a boot cd from Ubuntu Home Page | Ubuntu

 

[spicydeath82]

Thanks guys, this is what i was able to whip up in about an hour using eagle, the only problem i had with it is that there is no simple on/off switches in it's library, and and it has no lights/ lamp symbols in it's library either...
any body know where to get some?
**broken link removed**

 

[vne147]

Thanks guys, this is what i was able to whip up in about an hour using eagle, the only problem i had with it is that there is no simple on/off switches in it's library, and and it has no lights/ lamp symbols in it's library either...
any body know where to get some?
**broken link removed**

I think I remember having a similar problem when I needed a simple ON/OFF switch. I ended up just making the device myself. It was just a little SPDT slide switch. If you PM me your email, I can send you the .lbr file. Also, C2 is backwards and why not just use and LED for the light?

 

[Edd]

There are a heap of libraries here:


I suggest Sparkfun, Adafruit, LCD and whatever else you think is useful. There are also some tutorials around on how to create/modify your own library parts.

IMO the biggest PITA about Eagle is that it takes me 10 hours to do a schematic, by the time I hunt through all the libraries to choose the parts with the correct form factors for the board. It would be better if the schematic chose only symbols/values/names, while the PCB design side of things took care of package sizes.

 

[vne147]

IMO the biggest PITA about Eagle is that it takes me 10 hours to do a schematic, by the time I hunt through all the libraries to choose the parts with the correct form factors for the board. It would be better if the schematic chose only symbols/values/names, while the PCB design side of things took care of package sizes.

I agree that this can be somewhat of an annoyance if you just want to create a schematic and have no plans to make a board out of it. But when that's my intention, I pay no mind to the package of a component and just go for the symbol. If you are going to make a PCB out of it, then a good portion of the work is done by the time you even start working on your board. IMO.

 

[spicydeath82]

@vne147-are you sure c2 is backwards? because that's how it is on the pcb i based the schematic on. isn't the side of the capacitor with the line on it the negative? any ways thanks for the offer for the switch.lbr you made, i'll pm you my address. as far as "why not use a led?" it's gonna be used as a flasher for a 12vdc light/lamp on my golf cart, i already have one that came outta a cheap tire pump, it's what i reverse engineered to make the above schematic...
it's also what spurred my interest in electronics and making my own.

 

[Edd]

They mean just use an LED for the sake of the schematic. I think there's an "LED holder" in the built-in libraries that sorta works as a lamp holder as well. It doesn't really matter if you are going to offboard wire it anyway.

I can see the confusion over C2. To alleviate this, move your diode over to the left so that a straight line goes down to the ground rail. Then move C2 closer to the 555 IC. Then it will be more obvious that the capacitors aren't in series - one is to filter the supply lines and the other is for decoupling from the GND rail to the input of the IC. Therefore you need to reverse it so that the -ve goes to ground.

 

[spicydeath82]

koo, thanks for the heads up. i was wondering why vne thought it was wrong. lol

 

[vne147]

@vne147-are you sure c2 is backwards? because that's how it is on the pcb i based the schematic on. isn't the side of the capacitor with the line on it the negative?

Yes, I'm fairly certain it's backwards, even after Edd's explaination. Pin 1 on the 555 is essentially ground even though you have it connected to ground through a protection diode. It's the pin on the IC with the lowest potential. You have the positive side of C2 (denoted by the + sign) connecting to pin 1. The positive side should connect to pin 2 and the curved side (the one with no marking) should be connected to pin 1.

Most of the radial leaded electrolytic caps I have seen do have a solid line next to the negative lead. However, the symbol for C2 on the schematic is not represented the same way. The straight line side (with the + sign) is positive and the curved side is negative.

 

[Edd]

Therefore you need to reverse it so that the -ve goes to ground.

koo, thanks for the heads up. i was wondering why vne thought it was wrong. lol

Yes, I'm fairly certain it's backwards, even after Edd's explaination.

"Even after"...? I think you guys might have misread my post.

I'm in agreement with you, it IS backwards.

 

[vne147]

"Even after"...? I think you guys might have misread my post.

I'm in agreement with you, it IS backwards.

Sorry, Edd. I hadn't had my coffee yet. I agree with you too then.

 

[spicydeath82]

oops! yeah i misread it too, oh well. i'll have to double check the board i based it off of and see if i did in fact reverse it by accident..

 

[vinodquilon]

Proteus

Proteus (ISIS & ARES) is an another option.